Feeding mechanism for gas producers



C. W. LUMMIS. FEEDING MECHANISM FOR GAS PRODUCERS.

APPLICATION FILED AUGJO, 19I8.

Patented Aug. 8, 1922.

3 SHEETSSHEET l.

c. w. LUMMIS. I FEEDING MECHANISM FOR GAS PRODUCERS.

APPLICATION FILED AUGJO, I918.

' 1 A25, 1L 1 5. Patented Aug. 8, 1922. E

3 SHEETS--SHEET 2.

C. W. LUMMIS.

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR GAS PRODUCERS. APPLICATION FILED AUG.I0. 1918.

1 A125, 1 1 5., t d Aug. 8, 11922.

3 SHEET S-SHEET 3.

UNHTEE STATES earsair castes.

CHARLES W. LUMMI-S, 0F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS. A$SIGNOR TO IVIORGAN' CON- STRUCTION COMPANY, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS,

nassacncsnr'rs.

A CORPORATION 01E FEEDING MECHANISM FOR GAS PRODUCERS.

eans.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1922.

Application filed August 10, 1918. Serial No. 249,268.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES W. LuMMIs,

Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Feeding Mechanism for Gas Producers, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

The present invention relates to a fuel feeding mechanism'for gas producers, and has particular reference tomechanism of this class for mechanically supplying fuel to a producer by the introduction of successive intermlttent charges, the mechanism being adjustable to vary the rate at which the charges are introduced, and also to vary the size of said charges in accordance with the rate of consumption of fuel within the producer.

The mechanism of the present invention belongs in general to that type of fuel feeding mechanisms which are set forth and described in United States Letters Patents Nos. 1,270,962 and 1,270,963, issued to me July 2, 1918, and No. 1,27t,17 6, issued to me July 30, 1918, the same providing a removable fuel receptacle adapted in one position to receive a charge of fuel from a chute, hopper, or other source of supply, and subsequently to deliver such charge into the combustion chamber of the producer. The present invention contemplates an-arrangement and disposition of parts whereby the movable fuel receptacle or revolving drum is protected from the intense heat of the producer fuel bed at all times during its operation. except when actually discharging the fuel, thereby preventing the overheating of the operating parts of the feeding mechanism, and decreasing the tendency for the drum or receptacle to bind or stick on its seat. The present invention also contemplates, in conjunction with the foregoing feature an arrangement and disposition of parts, whereby the devices employed for protecting the drum from the heat of the producer are also utilized to permit of a deof gas from the producer'chamber during the periods when the incomplete seals betweenthe drum and its seat would otherwise allow said gas to escape.

The essential features of the present invention are fully set forth in the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional view of a gas producer, equipped with fuel feeding means constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of the feed mechanism on an enlarged scale.

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the feeding mechanism in the plane of the line 3-3,

Figure 2.

Figure 4: is an end view of the feeding mechanism.

Figures 5, 6, and 7 are sectional views, similar to Figure 2, showing the feeding mechanism in various positions of its operation.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the gas producer shown in Fig. 1 provides a combustion chamber 1 which is inclosed by a stationary cover section 2, the latter being preferably water cooled and having an opening 3 in its top for the entrance of fuel. The opening 3 communicates with the interior of a hollow water cooled shell 4, superposed upon the topviding for the support of the fuel feeding mechanism which forms the subject matter of this invention.

Said fuel feeding mechanism consists of an open ended casting or cradle 5, providing a concave seat 6, from which opens downwardly a passage 7 communicating through a. shell 4 and opening 3 with the combustion chamber 1. Bolted to each flanged end of the cradle 5 is a plate 8, the said plates 8 providing alined vertical recesses 9 for the reception of adjustable bearing blocks 10, supported upon set screws 11. Said bearing blocks 10, 10, afford journals for trunnions 12, which project from the ends of a cylindrical drum or receptacle 13. The latter is adapted to rotate in the concave seat 6 between the end plates 8, 8. As herein shown,

the circumferentlal extent of the seating sion or otherwise is efiectually prevented by.

' thus limiting the seating surface to not more than one half the circumference of the drum, thereby permitting said drum 13 and its trunnions 12 to move not only rotatively, but also away from said seating surface 6. This movement away from the seating surface is limited by means of adjustable set screws 14, 14, carried by plates 15, 15, which projcct upwardly from the plates 8, 8. These set screws 14, 14, are adapted to bear lightly against the upper ends of the blocks 10, 10, when the drum is in operation, said set screws being set up loosely when the feeding mechanism is cold; and after the producer is started, and the parts have heated up and expanded in the normal operation, these set screws allow the drum to assume a position for free rotative movement in the cradle, while at the same time holding it properly to its work. In the event of undue or unusual heating and expansion of the drum, the set screws 14, 14, may be still further slackened off, as will be readily understood.

Above the effective seating surface 6, which, as above stated, is disposed entirely below the axis of rotation of the drum 13, the cradle 5 preferably provides on one side thereof a lip or extension 16, terminating above the axis of rotation of the drum, and out of contact with said drum, so that it does not constitute a part of the effective seating surface afforded by the cradle. This extension 16 serves to guide the fuel, and to prevent its spilling outward from the drum, as hereinafter set forth. On the opposite side, the cradle 5 provides a similar lip or extension 16 to receive the end of a trough or fuel chute 17, which depends from a spout 18 that conveys fuel from a hopper or other source of supply, not shown. The flow of fuel from the spout 18 through thechute 17 and against the wall of drum 13 is preferably controlled by a sliding gate 19, whichis adjustable up and down to vary the distance of its lower end from the bottom of chute 17, and thereby to vary the effective fuel opening afforded by the delivery end of said chute. The adjustment of the gate 19 may be determined by the position of a transverse rod 20 which is removably carried within an upturned portion of said gate, there being a series of vertically spaced holes 21 in the side walls of chute 17 to receive the ends of said rod. In this manner the area of the fuel resting by gravity against the surface of drum 13. and supporting the column of fuel contained Within the inclined chute 17 and spout 18, may be varied;

As herein shown, the chute 17 is entirely open on its upper side; as in the mechanisms of my aforesaid Letters Patent means must be provided for preventing the fuel from being carried out of the chute by the ro tation of the drum, and for purposes of illustration I have here indicated a pivoted guard 22 having a counterweight 23, and adapted to restrain any outward movement of the fuel. Such restraining means, as well as means 22 which may be provided for removing foreign matter, such as tar and coal dust, from the surface of the drum, form no part of the present invention and hence need not be shown or described in detail, since they are fully disclosed in the aforesaid Letters Patent. As herein shown, the means for imparting rotation tothe drum are substantially the same as the means shown and described for the same purpose in my aforesaid Letters Patent, one of the trunnions- 12 of the drum carrying a flanged disk 24 which provides inner and outer peripheral surfaces for engagement by friction shoes 25 and 26. As described in my aforesaid Letters Patent, said shoes are caused to operatively engage the disk 24 by the oscillation of a bell crank 27, which is journalled loosely on the trunnion 12 and is actuated through a connecting rod 28 having an adjustable connection 29 with an eccentric 30. Said drum actuating mechanism, which preferably includes a yielding safety connection 31, whereby an undue resistance to the rotation of the drum renders the same inoperative, forms no part of the present invention and hence need not be specifically described.

The drum 13 in the present instance provides two compartments 32, 32, separated by a diametrical partition 33, with the diametrically opposite openings 34, 34, of said compartments serving for both the intake and discharge offuel. Each opening 34 is approximately as wide as the passage 7 whichleads downwardly from the interior of the cradle 5 to the interior of the shell 4, and as herein shown, due to the limited extent of the effective seating surface 6, each opening 34 is appreciably wider than the sealing surfaces which extend outwardly and upwardly from the two opposite edges of the passage 7. As a consequence of this construction, there would occur, in the absence of any preventive means, an escape of gases from the producer chamber both-at the beginning and at the end of each fuel discharging operation of the drum; that is to say, each'opening 34 of the drum would, during a complete rotation of the drum overlap each of said sealing surfaces at both'ends thereof, and would thus establish communication through its compartment 32 between the passage 7 and the atmosphere. I

To prevent this escape of gas from the producer chamber and also to protect the working parts of the mechanism from the heat of said gas, the interior of shell 4 is equipped with a swinging gate 35, pivoted at 36, and having on the other side of its pivot a counterweight 37 which normally retains said gate in closed position, to shut off the passage 7 from the interior of shell 4. Secured to the pivotal axis 36 of said gate is an arm 38, the free end of which rests against the surface of a cam 39 which is secured toone of the trunnions 12 of the drum. This cam 39 provides two relatively short and diametrically opposite concentric portions 40, 40, and between such portions 40, 40, provides elongated reversely curved extensions 41, 41. When the free end of arm 38 is in contact with the concentric portions 40, the gate 35 remains closed, but as soon as said free end is engaged by the extensions 41, said arm is rocked downwardly to rapidly open the gate and permit the gravity descent of fuel through the passage 7 and the interior of shell 4 into the producer chamber 1.

As shown in Fig. 2, one of the compartments 32 is just moving into discharging position, while the second compartment 32 is being charged from the chute 17. In this position of the parts the cam 39 allows the gate 35 to remain closed, so that there can be no escape of gas from the producer chamber past the edges of the opening 34 ofv the first compartment when said opening spans the right hand sealing surface of the cradle 5. In Fig. 5 the parts are shown in a subsequent position, with the opening 34 of the first com artment in full discharging position, and n assuming this position, the cam 39 has rapidly opened the gate 35, by the contact of portion 41 of said cam with 'the arm 38. During this opening movement of the gate the rear edge of opening 34 travels along the right hand sealing surface and thus prevents the escape of gas past the drum 13, notwithstanding the opening of the gate.

In Fig. 6, the drum 13 is shown as moved through a small arc beyond the position of Fig. 5, the opening 34 still being partly available for the discharge of fuel. In this movement, the free end of arm 38 has travelled along the outer edge of cam extension 41, without affecting the osition of gate 35, so that said gate does not inder the entrance of fuel to the producer. Immediately-afterwards, as illustrated in Fig. 7, the longitudinal edge of the cam portion 41 becomes available, to permit a quick closure of the gate 35 by counterweight 37, so as to seal the producer chamber against the escape of gas just before the opening 34 of the first compartment 32 spans the left hand sealing surface of the cradle 5. The gate 35 remains closed until the opening 34 of the second compartment reaches discharging position, whereupon the above described operation of the gate is repeated under the influence of the diametrically opposite portion of cam 39. It will thus be seen that the gate 35 remains closed at all times except when the actual discharge of fuel from the drum is taking place, thus protecting the drum and its seat from the intense heat which prevails in the producer chamber.

While the invention is here shown as applied to a specific type of fuel feeding mechanism, namely, a mechanism employing a rotatable charging member, it is obviously not confined to such type, but is applicable to such other types of feeding devices as come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim,

1. In a fuel feeding mechanism for gas producers, a movable charging member having an opening for the reception and discharge of fuel, a supporting and containing means for said member, providing a passage to the producer chamber for cooperation with said opening, and providing sealing surfaces on opposite sides of said passage of .less width than said opening, whereby said passage is unsealed as said member moves into and out of discharging position, and means operable by the movement of said member for closing said passage as said member moves into and out of discharging position. v

2. In a fuel feeding mechanism for gas producers, a rotatable charging member having an opening, a support for said member providing a passage to the producer chamber for cooperation with said opening, the

'efi'ective surface of said support on opposite sides of said opening being so limited circumferentially as to prevent said member in operation from sealing the producer chamber against the escape of gas, avalve in said passage, and means operable to close said valve when said member is rotated to a position where its opening would permit the escape of gas from the producer chamber through said passage.

3. In a fuel feeding mechanism for gas producers, a rotatable charging member having an opening, a cradle or support therefor providing a passage to the producer chamber for cooperation with said opening, the circumferential extent of said cradle, on opposite sides of said passage, being less than the width of the opening, whereby free movement of said member is procured, together with maximum fuel discharge from said member, and means for preventing communication between the producer chamber and said passage except when the opening is in discharging position.

4. In a feeding mechanism for gas pro ducers, a rotatable charging drum having an opening, a cradle in which said drum is seated, having passage to the producer chamber for registration with said opening, and being limited in circumference so as to embrace not more than one half of said drum, whereby to permit free movement of the latter toward and away from its seat with the surfaces on opposite sides of said passage of less width than said opening, whereby said passage is unsealedas said drum moves into and out of discharging position, and means operable by the rotation of said drum for causing the closure of said passage at such times when the position of said drum would otherwise allow the escape of gas past said seat.

5. In a feeding mechanism for gas producers. a rotatable charging member, and a seat or cradle therefor so limited circumferentially as to prevent the member, in operation, from sealing the producer chamber against the escape of gas, and means operable by the rotation of said member for providing a gas tight seal except when the memher is in charging position.

' 6. In. a fuel feeding mechanism for gas producers, a rotating charging member. a

seat therefor providing a fuel passage leadmember and said seat from the heat from said chamber, said means cooperating with said member to prevent the escape of gas from said chamber past said seat in all positions of said member.

7. In a fuel feeding mechanism for gas producers, a rotatable charging member having an opening, a supporting means for said member having a passage leading to the producer chamber, and adapted to register with said opening in the rotation of said member, and having sealing surfaces on each side of said passage of less width than said opening, and means for preventing communication between said passage and the pro ducer chamber whenisai-d opening is in po sition to span either one of said sealing sur faces.

Dated this 29th day of July 1918.

CHARLES W. LUMMIS'.

Witnesses:

PENELOPE CoMBERBAoH, Gno. H. KENNEDY, Jr. 

